Lupin's Secret
by MASH-4077
Summary: James and Sirius know something's going on with Remus. But what could it be?
1. Fun Friends

"Ooh, James! There goes your girlfriend!" Remus chortled, pointing to Lily, who was walking down the hall. James felt a pang of anger but his face had begun to colour. "Cut it out!"James hissed trying to keep his face from view of his friends. Sirius was behind him trying to stifle his laugh. They were under James' invisibility cloak headed outside to practice for end of term exams.

They heaved the huge doors open and went out to the edge of the Forbidden forest. James pulled off the cloak and set it down at the trunk of a tree.

"Right," he said pulling out his wand, "what are we going to do first?"

"Er…" said Remus pulling out his own wand and wiped it on his robes. 

" I know!" Sirius said and cast a mischeivious glance at Peter who hadn't said anything through the trip down to the forest. "Why don't we practice our Stunning Spells!"

"On what?" Peter asked shaking like a leaf on a tree. He knew what was coming but why? Why-? "Oh no oh come on you guys! Why am I always the lab rat?"

"Interesting question," Remus said in mock contemplation, "why ever could that be?" he winked at James who was standing behind Peter his hands bent like claws making a face.

Peter turned around to James and he immediately snapped his hands to his side and started whistling innocently.

"C'mere Rat-boy!" Sirius said wand at ready, advancing on Peter.

"I still don't understand w-?"

"Stupefy!" all three of them yelled and Peter fell backwards but James who was still behind him stopped his fall. He caught Peter and eased him to the ground. 

When Peter awoke James was bent over him and Sirius who was still laughing but was on his knees at Peter's side.

"Wha?" Peter stuttered struggling to sit up. "what happened?"

"We Stunned you" Sirius managed to say " and I must say you took it rather well."

Now it was James' turn to laugh. He sank to his knees his hand's over his face laughing like a maniac.

"Wait," Remus said suddenly, "what was that?"

Just then a deer walked out of the brush grazing on the grass. It looked up once at them and ran back in the brush.

"Hey," Remus said laughing "James was that one of your deer friends?"

James threw a look of utmost distaste at Remus "I'm a stag not a deer"

"Could've fooled me," Sirius said unable to hold in another laughing fit. When he stopped he was close to tears.

They practiced various spells, charms and curses for about three hours then pulled the Cloak back over themselves and started back to the castle.


	2. The Discovery

The next day went slowly. Heading back to the common room after dinner, James made an observation.

"Hey," he said looking over his shoulder "where's Remus?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, shrugging "maybe he stopped to ask a teacher a question."

"Could be" James said, although he didn't think that was the case. Remus had always vanished one evening out of every month. James couldn't help thinking maybe something was wrong….

"He's been doing this for some time" piped Peter from James' far left "leaving every once and a while, I wonder why?"

"Don't we all" James muttered.

__

Sirius is in puzzlement too, James thought, _that_ _means Remus isn't telling anyone what's wrong…_

That worried him. What could be so secretive that he couldn't tell his own friends…?

"Maybe he's sick" Peter said. " and it's an illness that only comes one day out of the month"

Something set off in James' mind _sick? One day a month? Aren't those the symptoms of-? No. no. not Remus!_

James had spun around and was running in the direction of the library. Sirius started at the sudden movement and called after James: "Where are you going? It's-, you-, wait-, I-, JAMES, WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GOING?"

Sirius darted after James, which left Peter standing in front of the portrait hole wondering what those two were up to…

Sirius had finally caught up with James. He stopped right behind him, threw himself against the wall and began to pant heavily. "why- do- you-insist-on-running everywhere?"

"SHH!!" James hissed he opened the door of the library and slipped inside, Sirius on his heels.

"I don't see why we're here James." Sirius said flollowing James up and down the aisles.

"I think I understand why Remus is sick once every month" James said scanning titles.

"Uh?" Sirius uttered struggling to keep up with James.

"Haven't you noticed?" James said pulling a book and skimming the pages. "Remus is only gone one evening out of the month. And that evening has always been a full moon."

"No!" Sirius hissed. He didn't want to believe it. But then, who would? "Are you telling me- no- that's im- or is it? Are you saying Remus is a-?"

"Exactly," James said shoving the book back on the shelf and turning to go, Sirius followed.


	3. The Confrontation

When Remus came back in to the common room the next morning he was in a poor state. His hair was ruffled and he looked distressed. He saw James and Sirius sitting by the fire watching him.

"Hello James. Sirius." He said in a would-be pleasant voice. "what's the matter?" he asked seeing the dark sober looks on their faces.

James stood up grabbed Remus firmly by the arm and threw him into the chair he had been sitting in.

"What's all this?" Remus said his voice quavering.

"You know what this is" Sirius answered standing up to join James.

"Er…" Remus was trying to search for what could possibly be going on.

"Remus" James said. "we figured it out. We know what you are."

"What?" Remus exclaimed, startled. "Why? How?" but it's- no you- how-?"

"We followed the symptoms." James told Remus. "We know"

"Why, Remus, didn't you ever tell us?" Sirius asked, hurt.

"I thought that you might-"

"might what, Remus?" James asked 

"I thought you might be afraid and leave-"

"Remus!" Sirius said "we would never!"

"You can tell us anything!" James confirmed

"Even-?"Remus stuttered

"Yes," Sirius said nodding, "you could have told us you were a werewolf."

"It doesn't change anything" James agreed "We're your friends."

"I really didn't want you to come where I have my transformations," Remus muttered. He bit his lip, "I didn't want to bite any of you."

"There's a resolution to that!" Sirius said so suddenly that James and Remus jumped a foot in the air. 'you know how James and I have always wanted to become animagi! Werewolves don't bite other animals! James and I can practice to be animagi. I mean, we've already decided what we want to be. James, a stag , Peter, a rat, me, a dog. That way we can be with you during your transformations without being bitten!"

"Sirius, my man you are truly a genius!" James said excitedly patting Sirius on the shoulder.


End file.
